To those saying the whiteness hurts their eyes -- download a free program called flux. It allows you to adjust the back-lighting/vibrancy of you monitor. It is especially helpful at night, ridding the stereotypical blue glow that we've all become accustomed to.

To those who are unable to attend MDF or to those who will need more metal to quench their thirst upon returning:My black metal project Hæthen (who I've mentioned a few times around here) will close out Negura Bunget’s Transilvanian Legacy Tour by playing three of the four final dates. I am aware that Negura is often looked at with scorn due to their overtly progressive tendencies, but I feel the material from their Om album is excellent and worth mention. Come out and support local Aspie metal.

While this animation may not be entirely accurate as I simply spent 15 minutes compiling some tabs floating around on the internet, it is a good visual depiction as to how basic the average Burzum actually song is. An advanced note: don't waste your time watching the entire four minutes. If you are interested in how to create such a video, the program is called the Music Animation Machine. You literally can just drag midi files into the program and it will do the rest. What is actually pretty interesting is the ability to view a song as in accordance with an animated colored circle of fifths.

Should it be limited to just audiobooks? I have a pretty large philosophy .pdf collection which, when coupled with a decent soundtrack, can easily replace the best narrated audiobooks out there. If a .pdf section is not viable, what should the proper format be for adding an audiobook?For now, I'll start

Judging from the responses thus far.... I'm assuming no o.g. Anus staff member has released black metal? Or even attempted to make some?

Not necessarily a staff member but I lurk on the forums enough to be considered a verbally inactive member. I have composed quite a good deal of material over the span of the past 6 years, yet the majority of it, I've come to realize, is not worth releasing as it was primarily written for my own enjoyment. Out of curiosity, I did however release a few songs as a demo in 2009. The songs can be freely downloaded from www.haethen.com and are open to some criticism, not too much though as I already am aware of the compositional weaknesses.

I have been writing good amount for what I plan to release as an actual album. The songs themselves will draw more influence from classical music, incorporating longer flowing narrative structures. The greatest flaw I've found with recent black metal, or extreme metal in general, is the heavy reliance on the riff. I think metal is at the point where the riff should almost entirely be done away with (especially is the case with black metal) and move towards longer "passages" which are able to create specific emotions within the context of a single song.

It should also be stated these songs should be viewed as microcosms of the entirety of the album. An album should not be a compilation of stagnancy. It should be written much like a literary work, including the initial event, rising action, climax and subsequent falling action; each song contributing to the continuum of theme with purpose and fluidity.

This has proved the most challenging aspect of writing an album for myself, the interweaving of musical and lyrical content but also considering the various guitar and vocal voices that will ultimately decide the emotional and atmospheric aspect of the material. Its been nearly three years since I've started on this endeavor and finding the time to engage in such an endeavor is scarce. I will post a track or two within the forthcoming months for the aspies to scrutinize.

It should be noted that excessive coffee swallowing also leads to some pretty serious gastrointestinal problems. A friend of mine had regularly consumed about three pots of coffee a day, for somewhere around 10 years. No surprise really when he developed ulcers and was diagnosed with gastritis. As with anything, indulge in moderation.

:: Oh, and I once read in some extremely obscure but reliable medical journal from the 1920s, that excessive masturbation causes blindness, you might want to watch that. Yet if you are already blind and are reading this via some digital text to braille converter, fap away::

All of my closest friends have been found through these forums, it just takes a bit of effort and organizing.

If you recall one of the boards first official meetings, it was a trip to New York to see Bela Bartok's Blue Beard Castle followed by an Immolation concert at BB-Kings. It turned out to be a life changing and re-affirming trip as we extended what would be a casual meet and greet before a concert to a three-day epic expedition of music appreciation, a hiking trip and deep philosophical discussions.

I still routinely contact these individuals despite some of them living across the country and have even made a few trips out to Colorado to continue where our thoughts left off. In retrospect, the passing Incantation show would have been another prime opportunity to capitalize on -- we still have a rather gloomy looking MDF to consider.